Events

Events

Please Note

All our June events have been cancelled due to the current Corona crisis. We will be making further announcements later in June about future events. Please take care of each other and stay safe.

Since 1991, we’ve been offering a variety of free programming, from fun-for-the-whole-family events like our popular Owl Prowls to hands-on workshops like Pruning. We love to share our expertise and enthusiasm with anyone curious about our native landscapes.

Come join the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project in celebrating the wonderful world of owls at one of this year’s Owl Prowls. To meet the growing interest in these fascinating birds, there will be Owl Prowls at the Macphail Homestead in Orwell on April 17, 19, 21 and 27th.

The Sir Andrew Macphail Foundation will open up the Great Room of the Homestead at 6:30pm and serve light refreshments. Visitors can warm themselves by the fireplace and enjoy the historic beauty that surrounds them. There will be no charge but donations to the Foundation will be gratefully accepted.

The presentation on owls starts at 7:30pm at the Nature Centre. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about these rarely-seen birds. From the tiny “saw whet” to the large “great horned”, owls have long been birds of mythology and misinformation. The workshop will separate fact from fiction, combining an indoor talk with an outdoor walk.

The talk starts with pictures and recorded calls of common and uncommon owls that can be seen on Prince Edward Island. There are also mounted displays of some of these birds as well as educational materials on owls and their habits.

Participants can then take a guided walk around the woods and try calling in owls. Make sure to bring clothes suitable to weather conditions. There is no admission for the workshop and everyone is welcome. This is a very popular event and visitors are advised to come early. We’re also asking the public to only attend one of these workshops, as our space is limited.

These owl prowls kick off an extensive series of outdoor activities at Macphail Woods, a project of the Environmental Coalition of Prince Edward Island. For more information on this or upcoming tours and workshops, please call 651-2575, visit the website (macphailwoods.org) or find us on Facebook.

Owl Prowl #1: Wednesday April 17th – 7:30pm

Owl Prowl #2: Friday April 19th – 7:30pm

Owl Prowl #3: Sunday April 21st – 7:30pm

Owl Prowl #4: Saturday April 27th – 7:30pm

Although we offer multiple owl prowls, we ask that you only attend one so that everyone has an opportunity to participate.

Want to spend less time cutting grass and more time enjoying the beautiful plants around your home? This workshop introduces a variety of hardy native plants to attract wildlife and beautify your yard.

The Macphail Homestead will be open at 7am to serve a free “early bird” breakfast. Join other birders beside the fireplace in the Great Room for at hot beverage and breakfast treats to start your day out right! Donations will be gladly accepted to help cover costs. Then walk the trails of the Macphail Homestead with Dwaine Oakley and Fiep de Bie, looking at year-round residents and returning migratory birds. A great walk for the whole family. Wear your boots, and bring binoculars if you have them.

Participants will practice pruning on a variety of plants in the nursery, arboretum and woodlands. Please bring along any of your favourite pruning tools. Workshop will include a slide show and demonstration of proper pruning methods and a discussion of recommended books and tools.

Hedgerows are an important part of today’s Island landscape – providing a long list of benefits for humans and wildlife. They protect us from the wind, help slow soil erosion, and create privacy for our homes. They also provide food, homes and protection for everything from flickers to flying squirrels. On Saturday, May 25th, there will be a free workshop on Planning and Planting Hedgerows and Windbreaks at the Macphail Woods Nature Centre in Orwell at 10am.

Participants will learn about assessing site conditions and planning the planting. There are many native plants that can be hedged, including cedar and hemlock in the right conditions. And the list of plants that readily adapt to windbreaks include trees such as white spruce and red oak and shrubs such as chokecherry and willow. Windbreaks can be hedges or full-sized trees, a single row or two or three rows, just trees or a mix of trees and shrubs.

There will also be a discussion on identifying native plants, when they bloom, what types of wildlife will make use of them, and their fall colours.

After selecting the right plants, proper planting and maintenance techniques are very important and will be discussed. This will include timing of the planting, watering, mulching and pruning.

This workshop will be an excellent opportunity to learn about hedgerows and windbreaks. No registration is necessary. Participants are advised to bring good walking shoes and clothing appropriate to the weather conditions, as there will be an outside component to the talk. For more information, call 651-2575, check out our web site (macphailwoods.org) or visit us on Facebook.

Over the years, hundreds of people have taken part in the plant workshops at Macphail Woods and become more observant of the natural world around them. This event is just one of the many nature and forestrelated walks and workshops sponsored by the Environmental Coalition of PEI throughout the year.

Take your fort-building skills to the next level! On Saturday, June 1, staff of the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project will be leading a free workshop on Shelterbuilding for Kids. This event takes place on the Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead in Orwell, and begins at 10am in front of the Nature Centre.

This is an excellent opportunity for the whole family to get outside and learn more about shelterbuilding do’s and don’ts. It is another way to build positive memories of being outside and enjoying nature. The instruction includes everything from how to hang a tarp securely to how to harvest material without being destructive.

You’ll be encouraged to let your wild creativity fly by designing and building your own outdoor shelter. It is a great experience to create something special while working with other people.

This will be the second year offering this workshop, and it was wildly popular in 2018. No registration is necessary. Participants are advised to bring good walking shoes and clothing appropriate to the weather conditions. For more information, call 651-2575, check out our web site (macphailwoods.org) or visit us on Facebook.

Over the years, hundreds of people have taken part in the plant workshops at Macphail Woods and become more observant of the natural world around them. This event is just one of the many nature and forestrelated walks and workshops sponsored by the Environmental Coalition of PEI throughout the year.

Kate, one of the province’s foremost biologists, will focus on many of the plants, both native and non-native, that you commonly encounter, plus a look at lots of rare trees, shrubs, wildflowers and ferns. You won’t want to miss this one.

We are thrilled that Bob is coming over again from Nova Scotia. The well-known CBC Radio Noon guest and advocate for nature throughout the region will explore some of the myths surrounding forests and wildlife. Bob will offer insights into how we can protect and enhance our forests by being a better-informed public.

Come on out and learn about the native and introduced mammals found on PEI, as well as a brief look at some of the mammals we’ve lost. After a brief slideshow, we’ll head off to the woods looking at a variety of animal tracks and signs. A great activity for the whole family!